This invention relates to jack panels used in telecommunications equipment.
Digital signal cross-connect (DSX) equipment is one example of the use of jack panels for electrical connection between cables in a central office. A panel usually comprises a series of individual or modular jack assemblies mounted within a standard sized shelf, which are typically 17- or 23-inches wide. Each jack assembly includes a column of sleeves which receives plugs for providing patch rearrangement and test capability. Typically, there are sleeves for input and output connections and for monitoring purposes. A modular arrangement may include a front panel with several (typically four) columns of such sleeves. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,087 issued to Williams et al.)
In the typical designs, the jack assembly is made from separable components which must be electronically connected before the assembly is inserted in the shelf (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,784,609 and 4,770,639), or the rear of the assembly must be plugged into electrical connectors at the rear of the shelf (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,568.) While such designs are adequate, they introduce areas of the assembly where electrical failures can result.
A further problem has arisen in DSX equipment in an attempt to achieve greater packing density. Specifically, for telephone applications it is desirable to pack 84 assemblies into the standard 23-inch shelf. However, providing such a packing density results in adjacent sleeves being too close together to use standard size plugs. While smaller plugs could be used (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,087 cited supra), it is more desirable for users to employ the standard size plug which is already on hand.
It is also desirable to provide the apparatus needed for one DSX circuit in a single assembly that may be replaced in the field without disturbing adjacent circuits. Earlier designs have often employed front panels that span multiple jack assemblies. This makes it difficult to replace an individual jack assembly without disturbing plugs that are inserted in adjacent jack assemblies.